Layover guide
Staying connected in Bangkok
Tourist SIM/eSIM at 24h airport counters, passport required by regulation; free airport wifi is 60 minutes per session.
All of Bangkok
True/dtac sells tourist SIMs at airport counters with 24-hour service and at shops nationwide.
Passport registration is mandatory for any SIM or eSIM under NBTC (telecom regulator) rules, with a cap of 3 SIMs per person per brand — allow a few minutes at the counter for it.
True's tourist packages run 8, 15, or 30 days with unlimited data; a 10-day data-only option exists with voice disabled except emergency calls.
Suvarnabhumi free wifi: connect to SSID 'AOT Airport Free Wi-Fi by NT', register with an email address, and you get 60 minutes per session (AOT official guidance).
- True Corporation (TrueMove H / dtac) — Tourist SIM page · checked 2026-08-18
- Airports of Thailand (AOT) — Suvarnabhumi airport guide, free Wi-Fi · checked 2026-08-18
The rest of Bangkok
The whole guideGetting out of the airportMetered public taxis from Level 1 between Gates 4 and 7, plus a 50 baht airport surcharge and tolls on top, and a rail link from Level B1 that stops at midnight.Ride-hailingGrab is the app the airport names, with a designated 24-hour pick-up point at Level 1, Gate 4, and no published fare, so the in-app quote is the only number you get.Local laws that catch crew outVapes are illegal to even carry, criticism of the monarchy carries a long prison sentence, and alcohol sales stop between midnight and 11am.WeatherHot year-round; wet season May–Oct peaking in September, driest and mildest Dec–Feb, hottest April–May.Eating near the crew hotelsYaowarat (Chinatown) is the street-food district and runs as a night market every evening; MRT Wat Mangkon puts you in the middle of it.What to buyGold on Yaowarat, everything else at Chatuchak on weekends; VAT refund needs a 2,000 THB per-store minimum and the P.P.10 form at purchase.TippingNot a usual practice, though it is becoming more common, and most hotels and restaurants already add a 10% service charge.
